Albuquerque city councilors killed a bill Monday night that would urge state lawmakers to let voters decide whether or not to change New Mexico’s constitution to allow local governments to pass and enforce their own gun regulations.

The bill was drafted by Councilor Diane Gibson on the heels of the shooting deaths of Albuquerque Officer Dan Webster and 4-year-old Lilly Garcia.

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Webster died during a traffic stop, and Garcia was shot and killed during a road rage incident on I-40.

The bill had its first test at the city’s finance and government operations committee meeting Monday night, a meeting that decides whether or not councilors will hear and vote on the bill at a regularly scheduled council meeting.

Dozens of people who opposed the bill filled a small room on the ninth floor of City Hall, an unusual sight for a committee meeting like that.

Public comment started a little after 5 p.m. and lasted well over an hour.

Many said that gun control laws should be decided by the state, and even if local governments regulated firearms, criminals would still violate the law.

The Sheriff and Undersheriff of Cibola County drove all the way to town to speak in opposition of the bill. Folks from from Sandoval County also made the trip.

Adam Golson, the son of Albuquerque Police Officer Lou Golson, even got up and spoke in opposition. Lou Golson was shot earlier this year during a traffic stop, spent months recuperating and is now back on the job.

“This is nothing but political pandering to placate the masses, while ignoring underlying causes of the problems that we face as a community,” Golson said.

“I would implore this council to squash this resolution and use your time to look for real solutions in the future.”

In the end, everyone’s voices were heard and councilors on the committee decided not to let the bill pass to a council meeting to be heard.

Gibson talked to councilors before they voted saying the intention of her bill was to not infringe on anyone’s rights, rather to give voters a voice when it comes to gun laws.